


Angels Don't Cry

by tkeii



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Demons, Alternate Universe - Guardian Angels, Angst, Character Death, Comedy, Demon Bokuto Koutarou, Demon Kageyama Tobio, Demon Kuroo Tetsurou, Demon Oikawa Tooru, Fluff, Guardian Angel Azumane Asahi, Guardian Angel Sugawara Koushi, Guardian Angel Yamaguchi Tadashi, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Religious Content, Religious Imagery & Symbolism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-14 21:06:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29425011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tkeii/pseuds/tkeii
Summary: “Do you wholeheartedly believe you, a mere angel, has the power to alter God’s intentions?” The Dominion's vibrations formed into words.“No… But I can’t let him die… not like this… ”Yamaguchi Tadashi is a guardian angel who is unable to accept the fact that his designated human, Tsukishima Kei, is destined to die in 130 days.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Tendou Satori/Ushijima Wakatoshi, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11





	1. They Yearn For What They Fear For.

**Author's Note:**

> An old idea of mine that used to be for another pairing that I revamped this year for Tsukkiyama bc they deserve rights <3 We love angel/demon AUs lol anyways yeah enjoy ily guys

Humanity’s perception of divinity tended to fluctuate. Heaven was described as a palace in the sky where angels basked in the glory of the almighty and Hell was a dungeon full of fire and the stench of sin. Poets such as Alighieri illustrated the afterlife as a mountain where, to reach paradise, one must start at Hell. Unfortunately, the premise of that belief in the modern world felt archaic and unreal thus the collective theories on heaven and hell remained ambiguous. Strangely enough, all illustrations of the afterlife could also be used to describe the earth. Angels were taught about the original sin of mankind, the banishment from the garden, and the violence of human history. The angels of the lowest sphere had the pleasure of working first hand with humans by assuming the role of a guardian to guide them through trials and tribulation. Although a few angels had personal issues with their humans, they had to love them no matter what. 

Taking the role of a guardian angel was an honour— humans were indeed naïve and rash, some more rash than the rest. Obstacles and inconveniences that the earth set out for them didn’t make anything any better. Angels were always sympathetic with the humans for their misfortunes but they were very enjoyable creatures to spectate from heaven. Hushed voices of stressed angels who had the displeasure of guiding humans with poor morality and crude personalities were heard numerous times among the clouds where they sat. 

A betrayed gasp caught the attention of the rest of the angels. “What the?!” he started strongly then shot his head up at the sky as if he were talking to God, “My human hexed me! I can’t believe my human hexed me! How do you even hex an angel! What am I going to do now!” He slammed his head on his desk and let the papers scatter all over the place. A set of other angels came to his side for moral support. 

To Tadashi, heaven was not a mountain nor a table where glorious souls ate. It was more like a fast working office of unpaid workers, at least for angels. The main duties they had were to keep humans out of trouble, deliver prayers to higher-ranking angels in the first and second sphere, and ensure that their work ethic was kept at a reasonable pace. The chiming of bells signified the higher ranking angels were coming to check up on them which made the slacking population rush to get their work done. Tadashi laughed at them while holding his stack of paperwork close to his chest. A group of archangels passed him and out of respect, he lowered his head. 

The angel with grey hair split from the group to greet him in return. “Tadashi, you’ve been working well. It’s good that you aren’t like the rest of those guys who have been putting off responding to their humans’ prayers… ”

“Sugawara, sir! It’s an honour to talk to you!” Yamaguchi beamed with happiness. 

Walking together through the clouds and fog, the busy chatter and slackers getting scolded filled the air yet again. Sugawara couldn’t help but laugh as well. “There seems to be an influx of humans who have been causing the angels a bit of trouble… I’ve been trying to report it to our superiors but they’re also busy… The earth is a bit hectic right now. Have you been down there to check on your human? I hear he is one of the better ones. Tsukishima Kei, was it?”

Tadashi’s fingers sifted through his papers to find the human’s biography. He handed it to the other and shook his head. “I was planning to go down tonight. I’ve been too busy writing out reports up here… He’s been doing okay lately, although I’m a bit worried right now because he’s sick and not feeling too good in the head. How about yourself, sir?”

A throbbing annoyance bothered Koushi’s head after remembering the ordeal that happened the previous night. “You’re lucky yours behaves… My human is not very smart. The fool used a ouija board to try and summon me but he ended up allowing demons into his home. Instead of cleansing the home, he leaves out offerings for them to leave but that only keeps the demon more attached to him!” He growled and crossed his arms like a disappointed mother. “Tanaka Ryuunosuke, you are a fool! But… I suppose that’s what makes him interesting. I’ve been doing the absolute most to keep him out of trouble... But unfortunately, his common sense gets worse when he’s with that one other human… Nishinoya Yuu... “

The name rang a bell in Tadashi’s mind. “That’s Mr Azumane’s human, right?” 

“Yes… He and I have been meeting together to try and team up to get those two out of trouble but it doesn’t work! We’ve been scolded by the superiors way too many times! They tell us to try our best to help their behaviour but how can we?! The demons they summoned keep us from getting close to them! I seriously wish I were human so I could slap some sense into them!” He groaned. A deep breath calmed him down slightly and he placed his hands together. “That’s enough of that. I’ll have to talk to Asahi later again for his help..”

The conversation was enough to cheer Tadashi up. He lowered his head to him once more in respect. “Thank you for talking to me, sir. I should be heading down soon, I can feel that my human needs assistance. Blessings be, Archangel Koushi!” His large white wings extended to the side and carried him to descend to the earth. 

The realm of humans was vast and smelt strange. It wasn’t as grungy as Hell but it wasn’t as clean as he’d want it to be. It was always a bit of a hassle going down because of such reasons. The sky glowed a deep orange, the clouds danced across its hues, and the birds were flying to their nests. The earth was far different from heaven, it was charming nonetheless. The Tsukishima household was located in a small neighbourhood in Japan’s Miyagi Prefecture. The aesthetics of the town were old with muted colours. Tadashi flew down towards the yard and let his feet brace the branches of the tree that overlooked Tsukishima Kei’s bedroom window. Like most days, he was lying in bed while listening to strange human music. This particular human had been alive for 7300 days if Tadashi counted correctly. Most days were the same and carried not much change but Kei was one of the humans who were cursed with bad luck. 

A whistle came from behind the angel. “Evening, angel,” a lower voice talked. 

“A-Ah... it’s you…” Tadashi responded in shock. 

The mysterious dark orb hovering over the garden fence began to glow a bright red. A body slowly formed from the black flog to reveal a young-looking demon with messy black hair, tired blood-shot eyes, and a wide grin. The demon wore a red robe over his black and gold shirt and with a swift brush through his dark hair, his long horns appeared. The demon ‘Kuroo Tetsurou’ was always there alongside Tadashi whenever he came down to visit. His intentions remained unknown, the assumption was that he must have been bored and had nowhere to go. After all, the life of a demon was illustrated as carefree and stale. A large distance was always kept between them which was a bit relieving because the scent of a demon was strong and suffocating while the light emitted from angels was blinding. Kuroo sat on the fence and leant his head on his hand while staring at the boring life of Tsukishima Kei. “Man, this guy needs something spicy to change his daily life. He’s been doing the same thing for the last 30 days…. I would do something to scare him but I think that’d make your job a little harder, little angel.. “

Yamaguchi leant against the large tree branch and chuckled. “You’re rather nice to me, Mr Kuroo.” 

“I am always nice to everyone, angel.” The intimidating dark fingernails of Tetusurou’s hands contrasted his sweet voice. 

“What brings you here today? Usually, I’m the first one to arrive,” he asked. 

Kuroo had his arms crossed in contemplation. The hums of nature rang in his ears as he hesitated to continue. “I was wondering if you were going to come down again... I thought the last visit was your last time visiting Mr Skinny over there.” 

“Why would it be my last? He’s my human, I need to check on him often, you know…”

The gap was closed for the first time since they met. The demon’s black wings were larger and darker than Tadashi's. They carried him up to the tree, letting his brown boots rest on the bark right beside him. His head tilted to the side and the shape of his eyes resembled a cat that glowed a deep red colour. “Didn’t you get the memo that the guy is going to die in, like, four months? Don't you guys get the news before we do? Or do the bad nuts get sent to us first? I'm still confused... I don't really like my job.”

Yamaguchi’s mouth dropped in shock. “W-What? What do you mean die? Like by accident? I’ll be here to save him if that’s the case.”

“Nope,” The demon was blunt with his response. He looked into the window again and exhaled sharply. “Delivery day was yesterday down in the fire pit so we got a few papers transferred to us from the big guy upstairs… Funny enough I got to see Mr Skinny on my list of souls to collect... Funny right? We do the dirty work around here… Most of you angels gasp and get surprised when I say that us demons are the ones grabbing these humans and throwing them over to whatever side big daddy wants them to be on... Sort of like prison but since I'm nice I like to walk with my humans... Dealing with dead guys is the worst thing… You’re lucky you get to deal with them when they’re alive and have somewhat common sense to not hit us... They’re always like… ‘Why me? Why am I dying? Can you tell God to fuck off?’ or ‘Get out of my face, idiot! I just won the lottery last night!’ and other stupid human things…Though... I find it weird that Mr Glasses here got no ticket to join the party up past the pearly gates though... I think he’s gonna get sent to us cause he's got a nice red stamp on his headshot on the papers I was given.” 

A cold shiver ran down Tadashi’s back. There was no way it could be true, but Kuroo always told the truth so there was no room for him to doubt his words. His hand shakily grabbed onto the demon's red coat in fear. “W-What are you talking about?! No ticket to paradise?! But.. I did everything I could to keep him out of trouble! I guided him! He’s not bad at all! W-What does this mean? Dying… Dying? He’s way too young to die! He just got into that post-secondary that he studied hard for!” The sharp pain in his stomach made him cover his mouth and fall over on Kuroo’s shoulder. 

Tetsurou was shocked by being touched by an angel. He shrugged and patted Tadashi on the head. “Oh yeah, he’s definitely a good cookie… But the papers I've got says something in the ancient text I’m way too lazy to translate.. Somethin' about his behaviour being not very yummy for God to eat up and welcome in the castle in the sky…“ He chuckled nervously when Tadashi began to vibrate. “H-Hey! Look on the bright side, angel! You can just move onto the next human! This guy is pretty boring! Maybe God will assign you a celebrity this time! Oooh, a celebrity! You like celebrities!” He tried to distract him from becoming upset. 

“This has to be some sort of mistake… This has to be!” The colour in his face began to fade. 

“W-Woah! Let’s not get upset! I don’t want your buddy boys to come down here and hit me! Maybe I misread the papers! Here! I’m carrying it on me, lucky you!” Tetsurou pulled the sheet out of his coat and smiled widely at him. 

The paper was burnt on the top left corner and the paper looked as if it was dropped in the dirt. The text was barely legible but with a bit of a squint, Tadashi managed to read the judgement. The divine language could only be read by angels due to it being written with stardust and light from the heavens. “... the end of the human’s life shall be met on the eve of September 27th due to… due to.. What? I can’t read that… Mr Kuroo, you smudged the paper with your finger so it dirtied the print,” he read the paper. 

“My bad, sorry ‘bout that. Loudmouth down under kept yelling at me to deliver some shit to our superiors so must have stepped on this one,” Kuroo apologized. Tadashi’s aura released a burning light that made the demon scream. “Okay, hey now! Don’t make me go blind! Relaxation, chill, angel! Chill! As I said, he’s just another human!”

“He isn’t just another human! He’s mine!” Tadashi placed a hand on his chest and furrowed his brows. His heavy breaths had the power to move the wind in different directions. The passion in his heart showed in his glowing yellow eyes. It released an aura of pure love and peace— a feeling so pure that it almost burnt through the demon’s skin. “I can see the light in his heart… I can see that he’s different! Of course, humans are sometimes evil but… I love this human! So... I have to stop this!” His white wings pushed down and carried him up into the sky once more, leaving Kuroo standing on the tree branch in shock.

“Hey! Come back! Don’t make a big deal out of it! I’ll ask if I can escort him nicely to the less tortuous parts of Hell! I’ll even make sure that he’s not burning down there! Angel! Angel---”

The echo of Kuroo’s voice followed him up to heaven. There was a collective angelic belief to always have faith in God’s plan and the fate of the universe that the second sphere of angels protected, yet Tadashi felt betrayed. A ticket straight to Hell felt unfair… unkind. Angels were always taught to show compassion to humans and the fate of Tsukishima Kei was cruel. The human was no criminal, not even that much of a sinner. There must have been a fault in the system and Tadashi needed to change it. Once reaching the threshold of heaven, a bright light blinded him for a second and four chimes of a harmonizing bell along with the tune of trumpets with whispers of hymns following introduced itself. It was the entrance of the highest angel of the second sphere: _the Dominion._

The Dominion’s appearance was difficult to explain. It often changed to suit the comfortability of humans but in heaven, it appeared as a bright light that resembled the sun with its rays. A blue orb was at the centre of it and one large eye above it opened. It did not speak as humans do, it communicated through tones, vibrations, and air. Like the ancient divine language, angels could only understand them when they spoke.

The aura the Dominion produced commanded complete obedience. “ _It has been brought to our attention that the angel Tadashi has an issue,”_ its voice was both low and high.

Tadashi placed his hands together. “D-Dominion… I don’t want to believe what I’ve heard about my human’s destiny. Death is too harsh of a punishment for someone as kind as Tsukishima Kei!”

The Dominion laughed at him. “ _Dear angel, that human is not kind… But fret not, this is no punishment. Death is a blessing from the creator... To return to the universe… Why is the angel Tadashi reluctant to accept God's plan? You cared for him well.”_

“Death, for humans, is the end… I don’t want him to suffer… He has plenty of life left to change! If he dies… I won’t be able to see him again!” Tadashi defended. “I will save him!”

The hymn of the seraphim surrounded them. The Dominion’s light became brighter as it flew closer to him. _“Do you wholeheartedly believe you, a mere angel, has the power to alter God’s intentions?”_ The Dominion's vibrations formed into words.

“No… But I can’t let him die… not like this… ”

The Dominion flew up towards a higher level of heaven. Its large white wings forced the air to push in all directions while the sound of heavenly bells followed its departure. The vibrations of its voice remained, echoing into Tadashi’s ears. _“Then, If that is what you desire… You have 130 days to save that human… Godspeed, dear angel… “_

* * *

The face of Tsukishima Kei’s angry mother had the power to scare even demons. Her voice almost made the house shake when she yelled. Kei thought she cared too much for small inconveniences that hurt him. To her, minor issues could turn into bigger ones so they should be taken care of as soon as they’re found. 

“Kei! You need to go to the hospital! You can’t keep these wounds open like this!” She scolded. 

The apple he ate was bitter. He threw the core into the waste bin with a deep exhale. “It’ll be okay… I just fell at school so they’re not that deep,” Kei responded. To ignore any more questions, he ran up the stairs and found refuge in his room. Compared to everyone else, he seemed to have worse luck. Today was another unlucky day where he would physically hurt himself due to poor balance and slippery roads. It was better than the other days where people would try to pick fights with him. God must have hated him. Not to mention that the only person he could consider a friend was annoying and loud. He sometimes wondered what he did wrong in his past life to deserve the current hardships he had to face. He was only 20 years old— the earth was too rough on his back. Not even his sacred bed could protect him from the horrors of the outside world. 

He had enough complaining of his first world problems and returned to writing out his analysis for his literature class. His eyes solemnly focused on his computer screen for minutes. His head was empty. God’s spite struck him yet again. The leather-bound book his paper revolved around laid face down to his right. The illustrations of flames and men in dark cloaks were drawn on the backside under the summary. _The Divine Comedy._ It was the most complicated piece of work Kei had ever read, but it was a story that probably explained the afterlife well. Death was complicated yet it relieved humans from the burden of life. Although the descriptions of the nine circles of hell in the book were not very pleasant and something Kei wanted to stay away from. If the afterlife was like a mountain, he’d be way too lazy to climb all the way up to Paradise, therefore Hell scared him slightly more. 

The one word on his page didn’t look too good for his grades. No matter how hard he tried to think, nothing came to his head. It was time to procrastinate until anything came to mind for inspiration. The walls of his room started to feel too familiar and too boring. If he stayed inside, his ideas would remain hollow. Then again if he left his room, his mother would scold him properly. The cold whisper of the wind from his window beckoned him to open it. He had been alive for 20 years but he still had to sneak out of his house like a teenager. His fingers pushed the window up all the way and he squeezed his body out. A large jump helped him grab onto the tree outside his window and slide down back onto the ground. Like a child, he laughed and climbed over the garden fence and onto the main road where he ran away. 

If he died he wouldn’t be able to experience the wind caressing his face or watch the moon take over the sky and illuminate the roads. Even though day to day life was full of hurdles, he couldn’t deny that life was beautiful. Behind the corner stores a block away from his house was a field of blooming flowers. It was a place he always visited when he felt troubled or needed a place to get away. It was a place only he visited thus it was special to him. The petals brushed his ankles when he carefully walked through them. It was rare for him to feel free, most days he felt like he was trapped. It seemed that God spared him just once. The spring breeze along with the buzzing of insects kept him company in his time of solitude. He raised his head to the sky and stared at the stars as if they were watching him. The tales of divine mercy and guardian angels sounded unreal but it was something he wished was true. He truly felt as if his life was destined to go to ruins— even just an ounce of mercy provided by the universe would give him hope to continue believing in himself. But his prayers were mostly left unread which made him slowly think there was nothing but the clouds in heaven. 

“Hey, God… you must really hate me for making me have to deal with all this bullshit,” he stopped suddenly. He probably shouldn’t have been swearing if he was talking to a higher power. He shoved his cold hands in his pockets and breathed out. “It’s kind of unfair… Watching people be happy… Why am I… alive? I feel like no one in this universe cares… “ His questions were met with silence once more. He laughed at his patheticness. _Talking to the air._ He must have been desperate for the answers of life and death. An unfamiliar sound came from the sky and caught his attention. The sound was similar to the singing of a wine glass in different notes that harmonized each other. The moonlight formed into a linear light that guided specks of dust to the earth which blinded Kei. It was brighter than anything he had ever seen and he could barely keep his eyes open. The sound of flapping wings replaced the heavenly sound of the unfamiliar sounds. The light began to fade, Kei opened his eyes carefully and with caution. 

Underneath the starry sky, the angel and his human finally met. No verbal exchange was made— the sensation of warmth, peace, and love rid any fears present in the moment.

Tsukishima stood in the field of flowers and reached out towards the orb that slowly grew bigger. A smaller hand formed against his and Tadashi appeared under the moonlight. The features on his glowing face were ethereal. "It’s truly an honour to finally meet you, _Tsukishima Kei_ …” 

The heavy wind joined the two, making the leaves on the trees surrounding the area whistle. Tsukishima's eyes fluttered while a single thought finally formed in his empty mind: 

_“Am I dying?”_


	2. Psalm 23:4

Chimes of the unknown instrument rang twice once more to introduce the stranger. The light surrounding the growing circle was painfully blinding. It took a moment for Kei to adjust to it once more, yet when he did, he was able to finally see what exactly he was talking to. It was difficult to explain off the top of his head because he had never seen anything like it. A large eye was at the centre of six tall metal rings overlapping each other, and on those rings, more eyes ran around the perimeter. A face was connected on the bottom where on its shoulder, four wings sprouted. The hand retracted into the spheres of eyes, making the unexplainable creature more intimidating. A small voice in the back of Kei’s conscience started to speak. _I should be screaming right now. Why am I not screaming?_ The angel noticed the twitch on Kei’s face and smiled again in hopes to keep the visit as pleasant as possible. He never had the opportunity to visit a human face to face— it was mostly the archangels who went down to deliver messages and guidance. From the books he read in heaven, Tadashi felt confident about their first meeting. Kei seemed to be oddly calm. 

“Blessings be, do not be afraid.” The wings began to flap.

The more Tsukishima looked at his guest, the more inhuman it looked. It did resemble slightly human if he had hope and closed his eyes, however, its voice was odd. Different pitches of speech created one voice— it was as if there was a group of people talking in sync whenever the creature opened its mouth. Reality finally hit him over the head like a pile of bricks. He pointed at it, mouth wide open in shock, then began screaming. "W-What the fuck is that?! Is that a--" He turned back and began sprinting out of the field. 

The creature appeared in front of him once more. “Fear not, I have come--”

Tsukishima fell on his bottom and looked up in terror. It was an expression Tadashi had never seen on the human’s face. “Mom, I’m sorry! Mom!” He screamed louder. “What the fuck! What the fuck!” he continued to swear.

Right. Tadashi thought to himself while staring at Kei’s disheveled state. The true form of an angel was a paranormal sight. Humans were sheltered on earth, therefore, many had never stood before divinity. It was normal for Kei to be freaked out but something inside the angel took it a little too personality. The face frowned at the bottom of the spheres frowned. “Forgive me for startling--”

More screams cut him off. “ _HailMaryfullofgracethelordiswiththeeblessedarethouamongwomanandblessedisthefruitofthywombjesus_ \--” His words were surprisingly fast. “I don’t want to climb the mountain!”

It was probably a good idea if Tadashi changed his physical form to better suit the situation. The linear light descending from the heavens faded completely into the night. Its glory left behind a seemingly ordinary young man whose identity and humanity remained questionable. Tadashi extended a hand to help him up. “Fear not… I come in peace, Tsukishima Kei…” He was finally able to finish his sentence.

Kei was even more confused than before but seeing a human was enough to calm his nerves. He reached up and got up with his support. The stranger had dark brown hair with one tuft of hair sticking up at the top, a freckled face, and brown eyes. Although they were strangers, his appearance looked familiar and safe to talk to. “How do you know my name?” 

“I come from heaven… I am your guardian angel, Tsukishima Kei.” His eyes were gentle when he spoke. 

“Guardian angel?” Kei swallowed. “I don’t want to be rude...especially since you’re from the sky… But your first form looked rather demonic. You sure you aren’t playing with me?”

Tadashi laughed at his ignorance. “You’re silly! Demons look more like this!” He ran his fingers through his hair and his face changed into a head of a goat with long horns, a torch resting on top of the centre of the skull, a human body with bony black wings on its back, and snakes crawling up its stomach. When it breathed, a low murmur from its chest rumbled. Tsukishima did not take the explanation lightly and felt his eyes roll back. He fought the urge to fall over by turning in the other direction and running again. He didn’t get too far before Tadashi appeared in front of him in seconds. “S-Sorry about that, Tsukishima Kei! Sometimes I forget that you humans can be a bit sensitive! I promise I don’t mean any harm!” 

Silence was welcomed between the two. Kei politely bowed, backed up, then yet again he assumed his running position and sprinted faster than before. “Mom! Mom, help!” He yelled in fear. 

“T-Tsukishima Kei!” Tadashi reached out to try and catch him. “Tsukishima!”

“You should probably be gentle with him, angel… A scare like that can kill him, you know?” A voice talked to him from behind. 

“Mr. Kuroo--”

A large crow flew in front of him followed by a circle of black fog that shielded it. A silhouette appeared after the screams of the crow subdued. His hair was short and black and his eyes were a cool blue. Just like the other demons, he wore dark colours that helped him disappear in the night. “Hey… call me Kageyama Tobio.” Fire came from his breath. “I hear you’re the angel who wants to change his expiry date… Rumours spread fast in Hell… I mean, you must have some major balls to betray your father like that… But I think that’s pretty cool.. But…. You should probably let that bastard Tsukishima die… I’d like to take him earlier actually.. 130 days is too far away…” 

"What do you have against him?"

Kageyama crossed his arms and grinned. "Tsukishima Kei is a tough piece of shit… I've been trying to kill him for the last few days but he always gets back up.. must be because of you… I want to see his proud face go all weak." His black finger tips grazed his chin. "It's just my job, don't take it personal, angel.. I'm just acclimating him before he actually needs to die. But… looked like you took a few days off his life by scaring him like that.. looked like he ran back to shit himself." An evil laugh escaped his thin lips. 

The battle for dominance over each other created an electric spark. Yamaguchi furrowed his brows and glared at him. "What are your intentions, demon?" 

"I'm just doing my job, relax… I came to give you a bit of advice and finally get the chance to meet one of Hell's new favourite angels… See ya' soon, Yamaguchi Tadashi… Tend to that human of yours before one of us catches him… Demons like the scent of fear." The demon stepped back and turned back into a crow.

Pungent scents of Hell consisting of the thickness of sulphur, burning wood, and rot defiled the once holy grounds. The flowers where the demon stood wilted into ash and imprints of the shoes were left in its place. Yamaguchi’s hands squeezed into fists, the fog covered him completely to carry him to Tsukishima’s location. There wasn’t a place on earth where a demon didn’t linger. Places they touched were polluted with pure evil and sin. Dark alleyways, abandoned buildings, hospitals, and funeral homes— their eyes were everywhere, always spectating the events of human life. They couldn’t enter a human’s life directly like angels could, however, the stench they left was enough to poison any morality. No matter how tightly an angel would hold their human, a demon would be able to rip their way through. Tadashi was not going to allow that to happen to Tsukishima. 

The door of the Tsukishima household slammed open. Kei’s face was drenched in sweat when he closed the door behind him. His mother came rushing to the front to see what was causing all the motion. All Kei could do was point in the direction he ran from. “M-M-Mom! D-Don’t let that thing inside the house, okay?! It’s been chasing me!”

“What thing? When did you even leave the house? Kei! Kei--”

He pushed his legs to run up the stairs to hide in his room. Sure, he laughed at Tanaka and Nishinoya at the party he attended last week when they were spooked about their encounter with spirits due to their poor mishandling of the ouija board, but whatever he just met was a real paranormal experience. Changing faces… the descent from the sky… He was a proud skeptic but had no proper explanation for the events that preceded. Unfortunately, it was already too late, the stranger was already in his room. He slapped his mouth shut to keep himself from screaming but his legs gave out and he fell over. “O-Oh god… I’m really dead… Fuck…” 

Tadashi crossed his arms. Play time felt longer than he first anticipated. “I know you’re cooler than this, Tsukishima Kei! I’ve known you for all your life… Never have you once screamed like this… You even watch the scary fiction on the television all the time! Why are you even scared! Your friend Hinata Shouyou seems to be someone who would be scared like this!” 

Kei raised a brow. “Um.. no… excuse me.. Hinata isn’t my friend…” 

“He most definitely is! He’s always by your side when you leave class.” 

“He is not my friend!” He was being stubborn. ‘He’s just a schoolmate!” 

The mood lightened a bit after a bit of small talk. Tadashi got on his knees and sat on the ground beside him. He touched his hand gently, letting the aura of his angelic body heal his emotional wounds. “Are you feeling better now? I apologize for my introduction.. It’s my first time meeting a human directly like this.. Sometimes I forget that I should be more gentle with you…” 

“Ah.. man… you really are.. Not human? This has to be a dream…” He held his heavy head. “What’s an angel doing down here anyway?”

Merely remembering the terrible news of his fate made Tadashi frown. He kept a steady eye on Kei’s face and slightly breathed out in contemplation. There was no way he could tell a human that they were going to die in less than a year— that seemed too much information to take in for one night. He squeezed his hand and all he could was smile. “You said it yourself… you are unhappy… so… as your guardian, I have arrived to make sure that you can finally smile... I know how unfair life may seem and I apologize for not being able to keep you out of harm’s way every day. But I’m here to guide you until the very end…” 

Tsukishima winced and placed a hand on the back of his head. He wasn’t sure if the news of the guardian angel was good or not. “Just tell me I’m not dying yet and I’ll be okay…” He played with Tadashi’s fingers nervously.

“You’re not dying, silly…” 

Relief filled every inch of his body, the fight to beg for life was finally over. He laid on the ground and rolled over on his side. The muscles in his legs and thighs were throbbing from his run back home. “Good… I didn’t want to climb that mountain.. But since I have a guardian angel…. You’d carry me, right?” 

It felt as if there was an important piece of information missing. The constant talk of a mountain confused the angel and made him question if humans really were stupid. It was a shame his human was, back in heaven he would brag about Tsukishima being naturally cunning and intelligent. None of it was showing at all in the moment. “What mountain are you talking about? Are you talking about heaven? If so… it’s not a mountain.. So you don’t have to worry about climbing… I actually don’t know how they get the humans up… But I assume you’ll be able to fly when this life is over… Would you like me to fly beside you.”

It was a considerate thought, however, the image of Tadashi’s true form came back vividly in Kei’s head. “O-Oh, god… have mercy on… me…” A short breath of fear left his mouth, his eyes rolled back, and shamefully, he passed out on the floor of his small room. 

Tadashi held his shoulder and shook him. “Tsukishima Kei? T-Tsukishima Kei! Are you okay?! I-I apologize! T-Tsukishima---!”

* * *

Echoes of crashing entered from outside the room within ruins of large black rocks that acted as walls. Hell was warm in the section where the respected demons resided. It was normally too boring for them to want to hang out there, however, the curious case of a worried demon kept a group of five within its grasps.

The group of demons were assembled at the black stoned table to watch a presentation go off in tangents about a topic that most of them already forgot. Tetsurou’s face was drenched in anxiety while his body moved to emphasize his thoughts and feelings. “... And that is why it is mostly not my fault if the angels come down and raid the shit out of this place!” His hands were on his head in stress. “H-How was I supposed to know that angel was attached to his human?! N-Not even best boy Archangel Sugawara Koushi is attached to his human! Actually if that guy were to die I feel like he’d be relieved.. I wouldn’t… he’s still keeping those snacks out for us so if you guys are hungry you should go visit him.” 

Oikawa stood up and slammed his hands on the table. “No fucking way! That place belongs to me! I was the one that he summoned anyways! Those are my fucking snacks, you asshat! I’m not sharing them! Plus I’m still waiting for Archangel Koushi to finally come from the heavens to talk to me again! He left my letters on read for the last century!” 

“I don’t give a shit about your fucking snacks, Tooru! Why are we ignoring the fact that we might get in trouble with the angels?! Shouldn’t we do something about that?!” Kageyama chimed in. “Kuroo, sir! I’m pretty sure we’re not supposed to be friends with angels anyway! If those stingy archangel guys hear that one of us pissed one of them off.. We’re gonna get our ass beaten by you know who!" He shivered at the thought. 

“Wait a minute… are you saying that you shared our information with the angels?!” Oikawa yelled and reached out to grab Kuroo by the collar. “Tetsu! Those papers are confidential! Why the hell are you going around telling the angels! Spoiler warning, please! Angels live life like a fucking movie! You spoiled the ending of his human’s life for him! I hope you fucking burn for this! Of course that little angel is going to be pissed about hearing the news of his human dying! Angels don’t have to deal with death! The humans just, poof, disappear and angels go ‘okay, bye’ and move on! You must be an idiot! Really! You wanna join Koutarou in angel jail?! He’s been there since the dawn of time because he fucked up so bad just like you!” 

“I didn’t get caught like he did! It’s your guys fault for not telling me that this shit was confidential! This is my first time clocking into work since forever ago! Quit making a big deal out of it! It looked like everything worked out for little Tadashi! He flew upwards and the last thing I saw was one of the scary looking guys from the second sphere singing some chants and dancing around! Dancing means party time and party time means good news so I didn’t get in trouble!” He smiled proudly.

“I don't think it matters if you didn’t get caught! That angel could have gotten hurt!” Tobio joined once more.

“Damn, you met the guy just once and you have feelings him?” He whistled.

“I do not, sir!” He turned red. “I’m just saying if the big scary angels decide to turn that angel guy into fairy dust because he betrayed them they’re going to want to find the source of it and eventually sniff us out! I really don’t want to have to meet Daichi of the Principalities or Archangel Iwaizumi ever again! I almost pissed myself, they smelt so weird!” 

“Don’t ever mention that name ever again to me!” Oikawa yelled at him.

“What? Archangel Iwaizumi? What’s wrong with him, he’s pretty cool.” Kuroo yawned.

“Excuse me?! Cool?! Not to me! Ever since word got out about the time he and I fought up there, humans have been praising that painting of that guy holding his big ass sword with his foot on my head! It’s not a very good look for me! Keep in mind thousands of humans have that painting hung in their houses!” He fumed. 

A new figure came out of the shadows. Only the colour of his eyes could be distinguished. “Calm down, guys… I don’t think we have to worry too much." Akaashi came from the shadows with crossed arms.. “The angel Yamaguchi is low-ranked… He has no power to change the forces of the universe… let alone fate… They can’t blame us because we didn’t convince him to do what he’s doing… But… in order to keep those angels off our back… We need to make sure Tsukishima Kei is dead in 130 days… that is our job and we can’t be late.. we just need help since we can’t interfere directly unlike those angels… “

“Don’t tell me that we’re…“ Oikawa placed a hand on his mouth. 

“We’re going to have to break Koutarou out of jail… So that requires us to get a little buddy-buddy with some angels… “ Akaashi continued. 

“That’s pretty bold, Mr. Akaashi sir… Shouldn’t we be careful? I mean we can get an ass whooping from God…” The youngest of the group spoke up.

“We just need to make sure we won’t get caught. Right now, heaven is crawling with angels working every day… while on good days only four of us demons show up for work.. Since Oikawa can’t fly like the rest of us, we need to get Koutarou back as soon as possible.” 

Tooru placed his head in his hands. “He’s dumb but he’s strong so it really would help the team. How many years has that guy been in angel jail again?” 

“Six centuries,” Kuroo reported. “That dude is way too impulsive! If he used that brain of his before he acted, he would still be here!”

“How do you break someone out of angel jail anyway?” Tobio was curious.

The apples in hell looked like raisins but they were still a snack the demons liked to eat. It's texture similar to beef jerky, making the treat hard to bite off. Kuroo's fangs sunk into the flesh of the dried fruit and ripped a piece off. Smoke emitted from his breath like a wild animal when he chewed on it. “We can either get a divine pardon from God himself, or steal one of the angel guard’s keys, hope our hands won’t burn after touching it and unlock the cell ourselves. It’s almost impossible for Koutarou to break himself out because the angels basically sedate him and tie him up with chains..” 

A cough drew everyone’s attention to the person sat at the head of the table. The demon’s large horns showed his high-ranked position. The sound of his leather clothes creaked when he crossed his legs. “I think I have an idea on what to do… “

“I don’t really trust you, Ushiwaka..” Oikawa crossed his arms and pouted. 

“Trust me this one time… I have a special friend upstairs to whom I still have debt.” A confident smile came across Wakatoshi's face. “And I’m almost a hundred percent sure I can convince him to unlock the gates for us…” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah yes the wonderful sight of [biblically](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b8/7f/30/b87f30fa314b49c130f2dc5bcb0b12b4.png) [accurate](https://i.redd.it/mfdz69zwhoj51.jpg) angels  
> 


	3. The Devil's Tango

As the demons referred to it, Angel Jail was a foggy area within the confines of the large iron gates located in the highest part of the third sphere. The fog acted as further protection to keep evil spirits from exiting the prison. The cells were secured by another set of gates protected by respected angels of the third sphere. God blessed the floors to keep demons who trespassed burn at its touch. Security was taken seriously, so there were always at least three guards on duty to ensure all areas were watched. The peace was disturbed when a strange voice could be heard, surprising the group of demons who came to infiltrate. There were thousand of stereotypes of angels being the most majestic beings in the universe. It was believed that their smiles were beautiful and they had the skill to sing and play instruments. The red-headed Guard proved all those theories wrong. 

“ _ Guard, Guard, guarding the gates! Keeping hold of the demon’s terrible fate! Get it, get it! Keep the gates closeeed! Guard, Guard, guarding the gates of heaven!”  _ The angel sang while grinning widely and shuffled from side to side. 

The two other guards stared at the other like he was crazy. “Hey, Tendou! We’re going to watch over the other areas! Make sure these gates stay shut!” They began walking in the other direction.

Satori saluted them, one eye slightly closed, and straightened his back. “Alright, see ya! Wow, all alone… This is my special time with Mr. Sleepy Owl right behind me!” His fingers were clawing at his mouth while he snickered. 

A feeling of dread made Kuroo shiver at the sight of the strange performance. “What the fuck is that?! Is he even an angel?! Why does he look like that? Why does he sound like that?” 

“That’s not an angel.. That’s got to be a demon who got forced to work for the gates…” Tobio muttered.

Ushijima crossed his arms and looked through the cracks of their hiding spot. “That’s my friend I was talking about…”

While the rest of them struggled to stand on the floor that burnt through the soles of their shoes, Oikawa sat comfortably on the pristine marble floors and leant back on his hands. “Yeah, he’s definitely weird looking but Ushiwaka is telling the truth… That’s an angel, I knew him back in the day...” 

“Why are you even friends with him in the first place, Ushijima sir?” Tobio questioned. 

“My younger self didn’t properly assess the situation I was in so I was threatened to get thrown in jail… That guy spared me the trouble of sleeping in there for a few hundred years and sent me straight down instead…” The fond memories made his usual stoic face smile slightly. “I still owe him a favour… So I think this will be easy for me… You guys, stay out of sight… Oikawa.. Go deal with the two who went in the other direction.” 

“Fine, got it!” Tooru got up and opened the gates for the rest of the group to enter. 

The smell of burning wood followed by the expensive scent of lavender and spices caught the Guard's attention. The dark fog that entered the gates turned into a tall body that reflected Ushijima’s proper form. His eyes pierced through the angel’s soul and dominated him for power. “Hello, again… Dearest Satori.”

It took a minute for the angel to remember who he was talking to. He raised his hands and grinned. “Hey, buddy. Remember what I told you? I can’t help you again. I said last time that I’d only ever help a demon like you once! Also, hey! Dude, your nails are still pointy! Didn’t I tell you to clip them last time! You’re gonna hurt someone if you keep them like that!” Strangely, he lost sight of his colleagues who went off. “Listen, I’m working here! I’ve gotta ask you to leave, Ushijima, dude.” 

Ushijima grabbed his chin and lifted it so they would meet eyes. “I’m so honoured you remembered my name… You guys have a habit of forgetting.” He leant in closer to his face, lips almost touching.

The angel seemed confused by the gesture. He pressed his hands on Ushijima’s chest to encourage him to move back. “Can I ask you to talk to my manager instead? I’m not really in charge here so please turn back now.”

“ _ Satori… _ ” His sweet voice called his name. “Please…. I’ll even get on my knees and beg for mercy.”

“I already told ya’... I’ve already helped you once by saving you from getting locked up here and that’s one too many times. I’m not really in the mood of dancing with a demon while I’m on shift, so tango with your friends back to where you came from! I saw them too! So go before I call one of the Archangels!” 

“Haven’t you ever wondered what it’s like to be pleasured by a demon?” He spoke boldly. 

“I’ve only had the  _ pleasure  _ of happiness around angels, thank you! Be gone now, friend! Take the tango music somewhere else! This isn’t a ballroom!” He pointed in the other direction. “I’ll escort you to the gate but that’s all!”

“You angels really are idiots…” 

Tendou looked down and yelled in shock. “Hey, buddy! Look, you’ve got to go right now! Your shoes are melting! I’d love to watch you become a pool of demon goo for me to poke at and jump in but I’d rather you just go back downstairs like a good boy! I’ve got to guard the doors here! Apparently, I’m the only here so it’s my time to show God I’m one of the best workers down here!”

“Listen to me, Satori.. I’m not here to ask you for help… I’m here to help you out…” He ran his fingers through his red hair and smirked. “After all… you’re such a hard worker. With no days off or money, you must be exhausted. I just wanted to ask if you wanted to come down for just a minute. It’s our little secret… Those other guys are just following me because they’re curious… But I really do mean it when I say… you are heaven’s….  _ Best angel…”  _

Tendou blinked for a second in shock. “Me? Heaven’s best… no.. you’re just playing, Ushijima. Quit bothering me. I’ve got to hold these gates shut!” 

“Why don’t you just call me Wakatoshi? We are friends, aren’t we?” 

Everything finally clicked in Satori's head. His hands were placed over his ears to signify that he was done with the small talk. “This is temptation, isn’t it?! I went to training camp just for this! I’m done with you!” he yelled and began laughing. “Your face looks weird when it smiles like that! I’m not falling for your tricks, demon! I’ve been trained to not ever listen to demonic sweet talk because it’s full of lies!” 

“Why would I ever lie to the angel that saved me from being locked up in angel jail?” Ushijima pouted and held his hand. He needed to hurry up; the soles of his shoes were melting faster than he could convince the angel guard. “I repent for my sins… I realized how honourable you angels are.. How merciful. So I thank you, Satori… I didn’t think my words would hurt you like that… I wanted to invite you down to earth to reward you for your kindness.” 

"Is this what the heathens call being 'horny'?! If you're horny, go and pray! Go and diddle your friends downstairs if you're in a rut! It's so incredibly rude to bother staff on duty! Or are you just missing you owl friend behind me?! Go write an erotica on him instead of going out of your way to come up here! This is the last time I'm helping you!" The angel became more irritated. 

"I'm not.. I'm here to satisfy my best angel friend and _saviour_.. I'm really talking from the heart here. I've told all of my men about you and how you were the first angel who gave me mercy."

Satori’s eyes began to twitch. He didn’t want to accept the compliment of a demon, but the way he talked made him feel warm. His face was slowly turning red in response to the compliments. “You’re too nice for your kind, Wakatoshi. Were you ever an angel?” 

“No.. never… I was born a demon.” 

“Even worse. So you’re one of the birds that can still fly...”

Ushijima extended his hand for him to hold. “Just a minute of your time is all I need.” 

“Helping a demon even once is rough, man! My manager might yell at me if I'm caught with you!” He stood his ground. 

The floor was burning his feet and made his eyes widen. There was no way that he could continue the conversation considering the pain started to make him wince in agony. He swallowed and caressed Satori’s hand gently. “I understand! Then… I must go. I will come again..“ He faked a weakened voice.

Before he could walk towards the gates, Tendou gave in and held onto his dark cape. “A minute! A minute is all I shall grant you! Then I must return to my post!” 

“Good…” Ushijima opened his arms and his wings extended to both sides. He held Satori close to his chest and wrapped him with his enormous black wings. The feathers of both their wings mixed and scattered on the marble floor of the heavens. The demon’s careful fingers wrapped around Satori’s waist. “ _ Gotcha…” _

* * *

A soft hand caressed Tsukishima's cheek while he slept. The warm spring breeze from his window encouraged him to open his eyes slowly. Tadashi sat beside him on the bed and smiled. "You finally woke up… It's morning now, so you don't have to be afraid. You hit your head on the floor, though."

The throbbing made it hard for Kei to keep his eyes open. "I can tell… what time is it?"

"It's only nine… Should I fix that pain for you? It is, after all, my fault for spooking you… maybe I should have visited in broad daylight so you would be so intimidated." He placed his hand on the top of his head and shut his eyes. 

The dwelling of pain left as soon as Tadashi retracted his hand. "I really wish this was some dream… guardian angel… the supernatural.. I don't really want to believe it. I hear that you guys only come down when something bad is happening."

"I've already told you I'm here to help you out. There seems to be a big struggle you're dealing with, so I'm making things easy."

Tsukishima raised a brow and got out of bed. "I appreciate that.. but I'm busy.." 

"Don't worry! I'll fly you to school--" The thought of last night's unfortunate events made him shut his mouth before continuing. "I'll walk with you!"

One more minute of examining the angel's physical appearance to reassure Kei that he could be trusted was taken as a precaution. At first, he thought angels would assume the face of a beautiful, ethereal, and eye-catching person yet, the angel seemed so normal. If he were someone on the streets, he would never catch anyone's attention. Maybe he was one of the lower-ranking ones up in heaven. Kei rubbed the back of his neck and exhaled. It was possible that he would be spending the rest of his mortal life alongside his guardian. Therefore, he needed to make a proper greeting. His words were stuck in his throat due to the common fear of the supernatural. His eyes were averted downwards, and he shuffled towards his closet to change his shirt. "Do angels have names? Should I call you something?"

"You can call me Tadashi.. Or by my last name Yamaguchi if you're more of the formal type of guy," Tadashi told. "Can I call you by your given name?"

Tsukishima blushed. "Ah.. Yeah, sure.. I guess.. You can call me anything you want.. I can't say anything back to an angel.." 

"Nonsense.. you can yell at me if you want. I won't tell my superiors but just know that might affect the judgement at the end of this life." Tadashi crossed his arms. 

Hearing that made Kei feel more guilty about swearing at him the other night. He hoped that profanity wasn't a huge enough offence to condemn him to hell. Apologizing probably wouldn't change his situation or ease the hurt feelings of the angel who Kei audibly insulted the heavenly appearance of. There were still questions that he wanted to ask, but he feared that it would be too much to handle. All he could do was change his clothes and get ready to go to class. The silence left between them was deafening. For the first time in his life, he wanted to have a conversation rather than minding his own business. A heavy sigh escaped his breath while he grabbed his bag and walked out of the warmth of his room to descend. 

The aroma of rice and butter lingered in the air. The sizzling sound of bacon on the hot pan welcomed the two into the kitchen, where Tsukishima's mother prepared everyone's meals. She had an expression of concern when she finally noticed the company of her son. "Kei! Are you okay? You worried me last night with all that talk of something following you! What were you talking about?" She crossed her arms with a spatula held tightly in her right hand.

Interestingly, Kei noticed that Tadashi remained unnoticed despite standing in clear view. "Can she not see you?" he whispered. 

"Well, she can technically see me, but my existence is considered uninteresting so she can't really see me… does that make sense?" Tadashi explained.

It in fact did not make any sense. Kei placed his fingers at his temples and breathed out. "Man… I must really be dead." 

"Kei! If you're feeling unwell, go to the hospital!" She started strong but calmed down when examining his face. "Did you patch up last night? You don't have any of those cuts anymore." 

"Huh?" 

Yamaguchi pulled at the hem of his cardigan. "I thought maybe it'd be better to heal them up since going to the hospital can be annoying… Sorry.." 

It was true— going to the hospital was tedious mostly since Tsukishima's mother kept bothering him about it even when it was a small cut. He was glad that it was at least one thing off his mother's list of things to worry about. He walked over to the counter, grabbed the lunchbox, and kissed her on the cheek. "Hey… I'll get going now." 

"Well.. Alright.. See you later! Good luck on your exams!" She placed her small hand on her cheek while waving goodbye. 

As soon as the two stepped outside, the wind whistled and ruffled their hair around. It was another boring day in boring Miyagi but this time with a little spice. Tsukishima wanted to mind his own business but his eyes kept shifting behind him to stare at the angel. He did say that he couldn't be seen by anyone else so he worried if bystanders would think he was talking to himself. He shook his bad thoughts away— it was his first time talking to an angel. He needed to savor the moment. "So.. Do you just take care of me or do you take care of my entire family?" he mumbled. 

"Only you.. There are some bigger guys from a higher rank that I know looks after your brother Akiteru.. Your mom.. I'm actually not too sure who takes care of her.. But don't worry about her." Yamaguchi took some time to admire the beautiful residential architecture of the human world. A breath of wonder left his mouth. His distracted eyes were fixated on the birds in the sky while he continued the conversation. "When I was upstairs you seemed pretty indifferent to your mother.. It's nice to know that you love her at least a bit.. I had another human in the past who hated his mother despite her caring for him and giving him money.. I'm pretty sure he's in.. A not so good place right now."

Tsukishima felt relaxed enough to unwind and open up with his thoughts and feelings. His long fingers brushed the nape of his neck when thinking of his family. "My mom.. It was always only her. My dad's not really in the picture because he's always abroad so she tries to do the most for me since I still live at home.. I get annoyed when she yells at me for being clumsy but she's really the only one there for me.. And you I guess.." 

It was a relief that Tsukishima was comfortable to talk. It made Tadashi smile and kick the rocks on the road as a distraction from getting too excited. "Is there anything you want to do before the end of this life? Maybe I can help you in that way.." 

"Oh you mean my bucket list? Well.. I always wanted to go to get out of Miyagi and see the sea.. Eat authentic Mexican food… Travel around the world.. get married.. Adopt a cute dog.. Graduate with my doctorate… See my mom cry.."

"That last one is a little morbid, Kei.."

"I mean like out of happiness.. she always scolds me so it'll be nice to see her cry because she's proud of me." 

Tadashi laughed. “I can promise you at least two of those things.. You’re weirder than I remember you being..”

"I can be weird to people I like.. You should consider yourself lucky." He winked. 

The large university building came into sight. Several exhausted students reluctantly walked through the doors to attend their classes. It was always interesting to see humans in their daily lives. From the point of view of an angel, Tadashi always thought humans were responsible beings who lived life to the fullest since their time on the planet was limited. Seeing the reality was charming to say the least. There was a part of him that also pitied them for having to deal with the hardships of growing up in a selfish and unkind society. Tsukishima led the way down the crowded white halls, the sunlight shining through the windows blinded them as they passed by. An interesting clapping sound against the ground startled the both of them. Barely even a second passed before someone jumped onto Tsukishima’s back like an animal. 

“Tsukishima! What happened to you last night?! All I saw was you running out of the bar and you never came back! Some girl from ECON class said that you fell or something!” Hinata’s orange hair was fluffed up. He climbed down from his back and fixed the wrinkles of his clothes with a wide smile on his face. “Come on! Everyone was worried about you! Even me!”

Annoyed, Tsukishima crossed his arms. “Well.. thanks.. But I’m not in the mood to hang out so I’ll get going.”

“No way! They’re starting to talk about all the fun things happening over at Tanaka’s house! You’ve got to hear it!” Without hesitation, Hinata grabbed onto his wrist and started pulling him in the opposite direction. It was nice to know that he  _ cared _ enough to not let anyone feel excluded, but his aggressive attitude was sometimes overbearing. The life of an extravert was strange. Tsukishima looked over his shoulder at Yamaguchi with apologetic eyes, to which Tadashi just laughed. It must have been entertaining to watch everything from an objective point of view. 

A group of students assembled at the large table under the stairs, two of them looked as if they were the ‘leaders’ by the way they stood tall and spoke loudly. The others who sat down in front of them could care less about what they were rambling about. Tsukishima joined the table along with Hinata which only caused the two at the table's head to grow more excited. Their speech became unintelligible when they yelled. 

“Get to the point already, Ryu!” one of the sitting students finally spoke up. 

The two fools looked at each other before starting their story. Tanaka placed a hand on his heart for sincerity’s sake. "So basically.. we're totally cursed over at my house, soldiers!" He talked in a clear voice to imitate an army commander. 

Nishinoya crossed his arms while nodding at his friend's strong words. "Totally cursed! We've been leaving snacks in the room we did the ouija board in so we can get the demons to fuck off but they keep on coming back for more! They’re like house pets or something!"

They looked at each other with childish grins on their faces. "Maybe we can swindle that demon to get us some cash or.. maybe a date for the next party!" Tanaka suggested under a hushed voice. "What the hell was the demon guy's name again?"

"Oi.. Okina?" 

"That doesn't sound right."

"Oiyo."

"Nope."

"Oikawa?"

"There we go! Oikawa Tooru! At least that's what he says his name is. Maybe he's lying!" Tanaka jumped up. 

Tadashi gasped sharply and covered his mouth. His head lowered when he began his prayer for the two foolish souls who had the misfortune of being 'haunted' by Oikawa Tooru. It had been years since he heard the name, but the memories of his power and what he did to betray the angels was too bold to forget. The feeling of someone watching them caught his attention. His eyes moved around the area but couldn’t find the source. “Hey, Kei.. I’ll be right back.. You’re okay with me leaving you here, right?”

Tsukishima nodded his head as a response. “Yeah… Don’t leave me with these idiots for too long,” he whispered. 

“Of course.. I’m just making sure you’re safe.. Alright! Be right back!” Tadashi’s body turned into white fog. Within seconds, he teleported outside of the building. There was a thick scent of pine lingering behind the building. When he turned around, he came face-to-face with the demon from the previous night. 

Tobio’s eyes were a deep blue and carried the expression of pain within them. His head tilted to get a better look of his features in the daylight. A rough exhale was let out when he finished. “You’re prettier in this form, Tadashi. I don’t really like that four winged beast form you have.. I’d fuck you until you’re crazy for me... if you’d let me.”

“No, thank you, I’m not interested,” Tadashi returned. 

“That’s valid.”

Tadashi crossed his arms and furrowed his brows at the inconvenient encounter. “What are you doing here anyway? Don’t you have something better to do downstairs?”

"Just checking up again… Hell is boring as fuck, shouldn't you know that?"

The more they continued the small talk, the more irritated the angel became. "Where is Mr. Kuroo? He was more fun to talk to…"

"Sorry about him but he's not coming around again because he got in trouble for slacking off.. So consider me his replacement… I'll treat you well.." His black wings allowed him to hover above the ground while he sat cross-legged in the air. He looked through the large windows at the group of students yelling about something he wasn’t interested in. A peculiar-looking boy caught his eye and made him hum in surprise. "Oh… how interesting.." 

"What is it?"

He extended his arm and pointed his finger at the group. "That orange one in the middle… isn’t being protected."

"How can you tell?"

"Guardians like to leave a mark of their humans.. if they don’t.. they'll wander around the area they're in.. Sort of like your buddies who take care of the idiots who summoned Mr. Oikawa.. They’re lingering in this area.. But look at this.. A human without a guardian.. That seems like a snack waiting for me to eat it, don't you think?" He noted Tadashi’s angered expression and laughed. "I'm joking.. but you should ask your friends upstairs about him.. otherwise.. Some of us downstairs will get curious. We are terribly hungry…” 

Something felt slightly off. Small sparks of light fell off the demon’s coat when he moved. A second of thought helped Tadashi figure out what was wrong. “You.. Did you visit heaven recently? No.. did you get sent to jail? Stardust is only found in that section of the sky… “

“Yikes… Well.. Gotta go.. Tell your buddies about the orange one before I come down again to eat him and your blond one.. Thanks..” Tobio waved goodbye and disappeared in the form of a crow. 

“Hey! You can’t just escape your problems by doing that!” Tadashi tried to run after him but stopped when he remembered he had to return to Tsukishima’s side. Although knowing it was improper to swear, he wished he could. His hands squeezed into a fist when he raised his head to the sky in frustration. “Leave my humans alone, you demon!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it was a mistake taking a melatonin before posting bc i almost passed out on the keyboard-- anyway oops it's been kind of a while hehe i need to get my motivation back to do frequent updates


End file.
